The USS Benfold conducts operations in the Philippine Sea on July 16.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sailed near the Spratly Islands -- known as the Nansha Islands in China -- in the southeastern South China Sea in a so-called "freedom of navigation operation" (FONOP), the 7th Fleet statement said.
The US Navy operation in the island chain where China has built military foritifications on man-made islands challenged "restrictions on innocent passage imposed by the People's Republic of China (PRC), Vietnam, and Taiwan," the statement said.
"In violation of international law, the PRC, Vietnam, and Taiwan purport to require either permission or advance notification before a military vessel engages in 'innocent passage' through the territorial sea of the relevant feature," it added.
"Territorial sea" refers to the waters within 12 nautical miles of a nation's coastline as recognized by international law.
The Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei also claim sovereignty over parts of the Spratly Islands, but the US Navy statement did not say its warship was challenging any of their claims.
Saturday's operation was the fourth FONOP challenging Chinese claims this year and the second such operation for the Benfold in the past four days, according to Navy statements.
On Wednesday, it performed the same mission in the Paracel Islands, a chain in the northern South China Sea known as the Xisha Islands in China, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
Beijing on Wednesday reacted angrily to the US Navy's Paracels FONOP.
"The actions of the US military have seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, seriously undermined the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and seriously violated international law and norms of international relations," People's Liberaton Army (PLA) Air Force Col. Tian Junli, spokesman for the Southern Theater Command, said in a statement.
The PLA said Wednesday the US Navy was increasing tensions in the region.
"Facts once again show that the United States is an out-and-out 'South China Sea Risk Maker' and 'Disruptors of Regional Peace and Stability,'" the PLA statement said.
But Washington says the imposition of excessive maritime claims by China and others "pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity."
Reader Comments
"the art of war" = chinese, the west studied this artform, but, without our friends Russia and China fighting both the nazis and the japs the entire "west" would of definately lost in ww2, and now the apparent tables have turned,
those "saved" from total destruction are now turing on those that sacrificed the most, typical, from a "mongrel race with little to NO HISTORY..
the world turns,
the arrogant trigger happy war criminal USA, yes, WAR CRIMINAL, they own the hague, the war crimes court, any offence aimed at the nazi loving yanks, just sinks an shuts down the court, as they are in the USA pocket, just like the CDC, WHO, FBI, CIA, SCOTLAND YARD, MI5 etc..
so..
the USA are pushing there limited boundarys, with limited fuel and on oil reserves, they know, they know, patience here is the victor,
the USA navy can be totally sunk in a 2 day total offensive, by our friends China, Iran, Russia, basically all of the bullying nazi loving shit for brains mongrel race,
im NOT calling the US citizens, cos they also HATE there own gov, i feel sorry for them, under a disguised dictator, unlike canada where trudeu, schwabby bubbys anal friend, thats loud and colorful just like that sick ego driven vanitized pathetic rainbow,
but, ah well.. mongrels need discipline, maybe NOW is the time,
the first thing to go is the internet, the eyes in the sky, our friends know where all these are, so, when internet goes down, phones go down, tv, pcs off,
back to fighting the old school way.. USA has NO IDEA, HAS NO CLUE.. THEN MAYBE ITS GETS HOT, ON ALL SIDES..
hope not though, they that created this mess, it so sucks to be them, forever in history, remembered as a worst name than himmler and hitler, those characters go to the end of the que,
friendly reminder, these so called vaxxines have killed more than 6 million people now worldwide, an whose idea, whose fukd up lie and mental fear porn thinking was this idea come from.. more deadlier than the camps, just do the math nazi maggot GATES AN FAUCI
find out where they live, get the rope, and hang they must, from the nearest lamp post, for the rest to see..
the show must go on..!!
it sucks to be them!!
Blinken and Bribem are doing construction. Blinken holds the nail, with the head toward the wall. Bribem says, 'No stupid. That nail goes in the wall on the other side". Blinken shakes his head, "Of course".